The present invention relates to catheters, and more particularly to catheter simulation devices.
A various assortment of catheters of the Foley type have been proposed for use in catheterizing a patient. Such Foley catheters have an elongated shaft defining a drainage lumen and a drainage eye adjacent a distal end of the shaft, an inflatable balloon adjacent the distal end of the shaft, and an inflation lumen extending along the shaft and communicating with the balloon. When properly used, the catheter shaft is passed through the urethra until the drainage eye and balloon are located in the bladder, and the balloon is inflated in the bladder to retain the catheter in place. During catheterization, urine drains through the drainage eye and lumen of the catheter to a collection bag connected to the catheter for collection therein.
However, in the event that the catheter shaft has not been passed a sufficient distance through the urethra, unknown to the physician, the balloon may be located in the urethra when inflated. As a result, the inflated balloon may rupture the patient's urethra causing serious harm to the patient. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,543,758 and 3,543,759, incorporated herein by reference, disclose catheters having a safety balloon communicating with the inflation lumen, such that the safety balloon inflates when the retention balloon is impeded by the urethra during inflation to relieve pressure in the retention balloon. Thus, the safety balloon prevents overinflation of the retention balloon when impeded by the urethra, such that the safety balloon prevents possible harm to the patient if the catheter has been improperly positioned with the balloon in the urethra.